


They're chiming oh so clearly

by CosmicDirksen



Series: Weddings Bells [2]
Category: New Hope Club, New Hope Club (UK Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But the happy ending isnt in this part of the series, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Romance, not sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-12 00:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7076080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicDirksen/pseuds/CosmicDirksen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blake, George and Reece attend the wedding of George's cousin. Blake's feelings overwhelm him a little.</p><p>Another fic for the beloved @blurryfaceblake of Twitter</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. During

Blake turned away from the dance floor and walked briskly onto the less busy patio of the hotel where the after-party of the wedding was taking place. He struggled to loosen his tie and undo the top buttons of his shirt as he stumbled toward the wall and slumped atop it. He spun around and let his legs hang over the otherside of the wall facing the beach, his hands gripping it tightly, grazing his fingers slightly on the sandpaper-like surface.  
He just needed a second to breathe.  
  
He'd sat and watched Reece and George dancing with their dates ever since the first dance had finished and twitter and snapchat could only keep him distracted for so long before he couldn't tear his eyes away from George in his well-fitted suit, with his immaculately styled hair and the gorgeous, bright smile on his face. All for Natalie. Natalie Hanley with her ridiculous chocolate-brown curls and big blue eyes. Dainty hands and elegant curves and a sweet laugh and charming smile and everything you could possibly hope for with a date. _Everything Blake wasn't._  
They looked so amazing together, her pastel purple dress contrasting beautifully with the black of George's suit and her head rested on his shoulder during the slow dances. Her rich pink lipstick stark and clear on the pale skin of George's neck but causing a stunning gradient on his flushed pink cheeks. They were both so beautiful and it made Blake feel physically sick knowing he could never have that. Not with George at least.  
  
Blake jumped as a hand touched his shoulder and another hand gripped the back of his blazer to steady him on the wall.  
"Steady on, Richie" Julie said from behind him, slowly letting go of his blazer and running a quick hand over his back to smooth out the creases before sitting next to him on the wall, her body facing the hotel but her head turned toward him.  
"Y'alright Blake? Looking pretty lonesome out here"  
Blake let out a weak chuckle but smiled softly at her. Julie was Reece's date for the night but had been steady friends with the boys since they'd met at a New Year's party back in December.    
"And naturally, being the absolute star that you are, you've ditched Reece to come and rescue me from an abyss of loneliness. Am I right?" Blake teased, leaning away from her slightly to make room for his legs to come back over the wall and face the hotel once again, eyes carefully down cast to avoid catching sight of George and Natalie in the main room, still dancing.  
"Well, actually, Reece has just gone to the bar to grab us both a drink but I'll be damned if I get caught talking to George's great grandmother about the bride's ruddy dress again. It's beautiful, but not when a woman who smells like pet cemetery is describing the lace work to you for the third time." She answered, looking thoroughly disgruntled at the mere thought.  
Blake laughed heartily and Julie smiled brightly back at him as Reece appeared suddenly at her side, pressing an Orange J2O into her hands before offering a red one to Blake. The younger boy smiled at his friend and said a quick thanks, making a mental note to buy him a drink later on in return.  
  
"Watch my drink for a second would you, Bib?" Julie asked, standing up and placing the glass bottle on the wooden picnic table near the wall;  
"I'm bursting for a pee" she added, before briskly pacing away in her shiny blue heels.  
  
The boys laughed at her bluntness for a moment, and then Reece smiled softly, staring after her.  
"I really like her, y'know." he confessed quietly, and Blake felt guilty for the brief flash of jealousy that shot through him. He wasn't jealous of Reece or Julie themselves, but of what they had as a couple. They both had someone who really thought the world of them and Blake was sat pining on some slowly eroding wall, wishing he was in Natalie's place.  
  
"Well when you put it like that, you do sound pretty pathetic" Reece said unsympathetically, Blake's head snapping up to stare at him.  
"Shit, did I say that out loud?" Blake questioned, his cheeks flushing warmly.  
"I dunno, dude. Maybe I'm 'earing things" Reece quipped and Blake shoved him with his shoulder;  
"Get fucked, Reecey boy." Blake huffed.  
"Would if I could, but Julie's parent's are picking her up at 12, so I'm stuck rooming with your sorry arse."  
"You're obscene, mate. I'm appalled."  
  
Reece grinned wickedly at him for a moment, then his face softened as he noticed where Blake's attention had been drawn to, watching the pained look on his face as George and Natalie laughed together as George tried and failed to mimic the graceful movement of older couples across the dancefloor. Blake cringed and looked away as Natalie pressed another of her pink kisses to George's mouth. Reece went to speak when Blake stood abruptly, downing the rest of his drink before pulling Reece to his feet;  
"I wanna go to the room for a bit and sort myself out, yeah? Can you give me the keys?"  
Reece glanced at the clock on the wall behind them and frowned;  
"Dude, it's only like 9 o'clock, you sure you wanna turn in?" he asked while hesitantly pulling the key card from his pocket.  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm only going up for a bit, dude. I'll be back down half 11 latest.M'kay?" Blake reasoned, gently prising the key from Reece's hand.  
"If you're not down by 11, I'm comin'  t'get you." Reece threatened, before leaning forward and pulling Blake into a quick but tight hug.  
"Don't let them ruin y'night, yeah? George'd be devastated if he knew he was hurtin' y'feelings"  
"Dude, that's like they gayest thing you've ever said" Blake laughed, pulling away from him.  
"Fitting then how I'm sayin' it t'you, isn't it?" Reece quipped back. Blake grinned and shoved him playfully before beginning to head towards the hotel once again, bracing himself to walk past George and Natalie.  
"S'later Richie" Reece called, watching his friend with worried eyes but a smile on his lips.  
"Later, Bibbzer"


	2. Continuing

Back in the hotel room, Blake began to strip out of his suit, the heavy black material once again feeling as though it was restricting his breathing. He quickly kicked off the pants and threw the jacket onto the bed, chucking the pants and tie to join it before toeing off his shoes and peeling the socks from his feet. He undid the topmost buttons of the shirt before walking quickly into the bathroom. A shower. Yeah, he needed a shower.  
He reached into the stall and turned the knob, quickly pulling away before the spray began and turning to face himself in the mirror, frowning slightly at how tired he looked. He quickly pulled off his boxers and stepped into the warm stream, basking in it for a moment before reaching for the shampoo and squeezing a blob of the fruity scented goo into his hands. He began scrubbing at his head before remembering the advice from the backstage stylist from tour and taking a gentler approach, massaging the shampoo into his hair rather than "treating it like the end of his toothbrush" as the woman had so eloquently put it. Blake loved the feeling of hands in his hair, even if they were his own, and lost himself briefly in massaging his scalp. He rinsed the shampoo out slowly and reached for the body wash, treating his skin in the same gentle manner and slowly washing away the grime from the day. Showers always made him feel a thousand times better. He gently rinsed the suds from his body before reaching for the stupidly expensive conditioner that management had insisted upon buying for them in bulk. Not that Blake was complaining, it left his hair feeling like silk and smelt divine. Plus, it was light enough that Blake could still easily quiff his hair afterwards, without needing a stupid amount of product to keep it in place.  
He leaned away from the stream of water and against the wall to allow the conditioner to soak into his hair, almost falling asleep against the tiles. After a few minutes, he reluctantly forced himself to stand up straight again and rinse his hair once more before shutting off the water.  
  
He stepped out of the shower and squeezed the excess water in his hair into one of the fluffy white towels before wrapping it around his waist. He shuffled back toward the beds in the other room and reached into his small suitcase, pulling out a clean pair of boxers and drying himself quickly before stepping into them and pulling them up his legs. He grabbed the heat protection spray from his case (another gift from management) and sprayed it onto his hands before running them through his damp hair. He seated himself at the dressing table and was about to begin blow drying his hair when there was a knock on the door. Blake turned and glanced at the clock on the dresser - 21:52. He rolled his eyes fondly at Reece's concern and turned back to the mirror;  
"It's unlocked, dude" he called, reaching again to turn on the hair dryer.  
  
The handle wobbled for a moment and George appeared from behind the door, his worried expression breaking into a smile when he made eye contact with Blake through the mirror.  
"Awh, dude, you styling your hair? Can I do it?" George asked, bounding excitedly over to stand behind Blake in the mirror, bending down so their faces were level and his chin rested on Blake's bare shoulder. Blake resisted shuddering at the feeling of George's warm, bare skin against his own, the other boys breath ghosting over his cheek. The lipstick stains were gone, Blake noted. Not trusting himself to speak, Blake instead cocked an eyebrow at the blond in the mirror.  
"Please?" George added, widening his eyes and poking out his bottom lip slightly. Blake huffed and pulled away, reaching over to the hairdryer and barrel-shaped brush, pressing them into George's large hands.  
"Thank you, your majesty" George mocked, bowing exaggeratedly and kissing the back of Blake's outstretched hand. Blake snatched his hand away, nearly smacking George in the face in the process and George stared, looking shocked and a little hurt.  
_Fuck. Think fast, Richardson._  
"Peasant, do not allow any part of you to make contact with me without my consent" Blake responded haughtily, playing along with George's charade. George smiled again and internally, Blake let out a sigh of relief. He would have probably cried if he'd upset him.  
"Of course, your majesty. My sincerest apologies" George mocked, bowing again. "May I please style your hair?"  
"If you must" Blake responded, feigning disgust.  
  
George stood up behind him and began to gently brush through his wet hair, carefully detangling any small knots he came across. Blake's eyes slipped shut and he nearly moaned at the feeling of George carefully carding his fingers through his hair. The moment seemed to drag on forever and Blake lost himself in the feeling, whining quietly when George pulled his hand away. George chuckled quietly, and leaned down to speak into Blake's ear;  
"I'm gonna turn the hair dryer on now, that's all, Princess" George spoke lowly and Blake shoved at him weakly with his hand.  
"M'not a princess, you prick" he mumbled, peeling his eyes open to glare at George, even though his insides had turned to mush at the nickname. The other boys always teased and babied Blake for being the youngest, but when George was practically whispering in his ear,  the nickname felt like it took on an entirely different meaning. Blake mentally slapped himself and sat up straight in the chair, remembering his lack of clothes and reminding himself how wrong it was to be turned on by your best mate winding you up while his gorgeous girlfriend was downstairs.  
  
Blake went to ask where Natalie was when George turned on the hair dryer and began blow drying his hair into its usual quiffed-style. Blake hummed quietly in content as George's fingers returned to his hair and let his eyes close once again, making the most of the feeling of George's hands gently working through his quiff and knowing playing with his own hair could never match up to this. George was rarely openly affection with him in front of anyone other than Reece, so Blake relished in moments they had alone together, taking care to remember every detail. After a few more minutes of George combing quietly through Blake's hair and styling into it's traditional quiff, he shut off the hair dryer and moved away to sit on the bed behind Blake, motioning for him to turn around and face him. Blake instead stood and moved to his suitcase and beginning to search for a pair of his skinnies to put back on to go back downstairs. He wasn't getting back into that suit.  
"What's up dude?" Blake asked, pulling out a pair of socks and skinnies to put on. Blake waited for a response before turning and finding George stood close behind him. Blake jumped slightly then laughed at his over reaction, but his smile quickly slipped away when George's face remained downcast and dark.  
"George?" he asked softly, feeling suddenly exposed and vulnerable in his mostly bare state while George was fully-suited. Blake reached behind himself and grabbed hold of the dress shirt he'd been wearing earlier, sliding his arms back into the sleeves and buttoning it up to the centre of his chest. George watched him without speaking, waiting until Blake stopped buttoning his shirt and he had his full attention before speaking;  
"Have I done something to upset you?" George responded finally, and Blake felt his resolve crumble, his heart breaking at the sight of George looking so genuinely distraught at the thought of hurting him.  
"No, dude. We're solid, yeah? You haven't done anything wrong." _True._ "I'm absolutely 100% fine." _Liar._  
"Are you sure?" George asked, reaching out and taking hold of Blake's wrists, running his thumbs over the protruding bones on the sides in a comforting gesture, staring deeply into the dark pools of chocolate that formed Blake's eyes. Blake swallowed thickly, struggling to maintain the intense eye contact with his band mate and feeling somewhat betrayed by his own body when his eyes flickered briefly down to George's lips, parted slightly and looking plush and pink and oh-so inviting.  
"Yeah, I promise. I'd tell you if something was wrong," Blake said, reassuringly. Although he felt guilt flood through him knowing he was practically lying right in George's face.  
"Yeah, yeah, course you would. Just me being paranoid. Sorry, man" George said awkwardly, pulling away from Blake and laughing with embarrassment, cheeks flushed pink. Blake hated himself for making him feel stupid.  
  
"No it's fine, nice knowing you've got my back, yeah?" Blake said, gently shoving George's shoulder and grinning at him.  
"Always, dude." George said sincerely, returning the smile.  
  
"You should probably head back downstairs, Nat'll be looking for you" Blake said, "I need to get dressed again."  
"Shit, yeah. Sorry dude, I'll leave you to it" George responded turning towards the door.  
  
_Don't go._  
  
"Wait, George?" Blake called, his mouth moving before his brain could argue his hand shook as he reached out towards George and weakly tugged the sleeve of his jacket.  
George turned to him once more.  
"I- I-..." Blake began.  
  
_I need you. Please stay here with me. Don't go back out to that girl and let her put her hands all over you. Please don't leave._  
  
"I think I left my wallet on the table, will y'make sure Reece keeps hold of it so it doesn't get handed in to the staff or something?" Blake asked.  
  
_Fucking pathetic._  
  
"Yeah, sure." George replied, looking almost disappointed. Blake's heart sank further.  
  
**_I'm sorry._**  
  
 Blake let out a shakey breath and George reached out and gently touched the side of his face for a brief moment;  
"Come back down in a bit, yeah? I'll see you later" he asked, letting his hand drop to Blake's shoulder and patting it awkwardly before pulling away and heading back toward the door.  
  
"Later, dude"  
  
The door clicked shut and Blake listened to the retreating footsteps.  
  
**_"I love you."_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry.
> 
> I co-own @cotton.candyconnor @hmubrad @mcveyatthedisco and @girlsandboysanddogs on Instagram so hmu, yo.

**Author's Note:**

> Chloe, I hope this makes you weep. The ending of the second chapter is designed to fuck you up, hoe ;)


End file.
